Suction operated floor cleaning tool



A g- 1952 F. K. MINERLEY 0 7 SUCTION OPERATED FLOOR CLEANING TOOL.

Filed Jan. 19, 1948 20 5 INVENTOR.

THE EHMKKA [INEHLEY AT'TY.

This invention relates to a suction operated floor cleaning tool by which liquid such as water may be spread upon the floor to becleaned and thereafter the liquid, together with the dirt on the floor, is drawn by suction means and deposited in a receptacle. A tool of this character is particularly advantageous in cleaning terrazzo, linoleuin, marble or tile floors, and enables the cleaning operation to be accomplished efilciently and with a minimum amount of efiort.

' An object is to produce a new and improved tool of the above character which is adapted for hand operation and is of the self-contained type embodying a tank or reservoir containing the liquid, valve mechanisms being provided enabling liquid gravitationally to flow to the floor surface so that scrubbing thereof may be accomplished and thereafter the liquid and dirt being sucked by vacuum means back into the tank, leaving the floor surface almost dry.

Another object is to improve the construction of a tool of the above character enabling it to be manufactured on large scale production economically, the parts in the main being fabricated from sheet metal.

A further object is to produce a tool of the above character, when it is laid down upon a.

will hereinafter appear, and for purposes'of illustration but not of limitation, anembodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tool in position of use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation of the body of the tool;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the tool resting upon a supporting surface in its inoperative position; A

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of th lower portion of the body of the tool showing the valve in open position enabling liquid within the tank to flow gravitationally to the fioor surface;

asectional view of the floor tool;- I

able type vacuum cleaner, or other suction producing source. As shown, the flexible hose is detachably connected toanelongate' metal-tube I I which curvesdownwardly and then has astraight- In this instance, the tool is adapted 2,607,067 STATES oPERATEnFLooR CLEANINGTOOL Frederick K. Minerleygliincolnwood, I Application January 19, 1948, S erial No. 7 -'Claims. (Cl.15-..320) s I, v. 1

portion whichextends longitudinally and concentrically through an elongate sheet metal tank or reservoir having a cylindrical body I3, the opposite ends of which are closed by dome-like end portions I4 and I5 which are not only permanently and in fluid-tight contact with the tube II, but also with the adjacent end portions of liquidsuch as water. "The drawingillustrates the approximate amount which is preferably desired within. the tank, it being understood thatthe tank: is only. partially filled with :theliquid, the opening being closed-by a gap I6 in the end portion I5 enabling water to be, introduced into the tank-or emptied therefrom. Q g

The tube II terminates. a short distance beyond the bottom. en'dclosure .I5,jand-.detachably connectedto suchprojecting end-portionis a tube.I 'I,..the=lower end"portionda of which is curved-in the opposite direction'and swivelly connected .tov-the iouter .endlportion'thereof is a floor tool it. The floor. tool I9in this instance is hollow and is provided with downwardly extending bristleslfl: disposed in an oblong row. It is to be understood .thatiiquid may pass from the tank I2 through theztubenll to the central portion'of the floortooliand associated with the floor tool may also. .be, as shown .in Fig. 7, a rubber squeegee 2I .as shown in Fig. 6. Manifestly other. forms offloor tools may be used such, for example, as spongefabrlc, or the like, as may be desirable in thescrubbing or cleaning of hard floor or carpeted surfaces:

Near the bottom of the tank I2, a port 22 is formed in the tube II'=which, when open, allows liquid withinthe reservoir to flow gravitationally to the floor tool I9. Controlling this port is a valve 23 which is connected to one end of an arm 24 pivoted intermediate its ends to a bracket 25, the latter being mounted on the outside of the tube I I-.- A'coil spring 26 engages the opposite end of the arm 24' normally to urge the valve 23], to'its seat to close the port-22. The arm 2 has a: lateral'ejxtension 21 to which one end of] wiiefiflisconnected,

Spacedabove'the port 22 and disposedapproximately midway of the length o' f the tank I3 are 1 Figure 31 I The openings29 are enclosed by a bellshaped "bafilef'3fl', thewalls of which are spaced,

from thetube II andthel upper end of which is suitably isecured to theouter surface of the tube.

' Above the-s asms; 2-9,- a plug bf-tally suit-j able construction isf disposed within the tube to forms the plug 3| and is conveniently secured in position by a press fit. Also formed in the. tube l I in the region above the plug 3!, and within the tank I2, is an annular row of elongate openings 32 through which air within the tank 12 is. evacuated in response toithe suction created by the portable. vacuum cleaner. orsource of suction, referred to; above. It is manifest that, when the valve 23 is in closedposition. and a partial vacuum is created within thetank t2, the liquid and dirt from the floor is quicklysucked or drawn through. the floor tool 19.. tubel'l, tube. It and discharged. through. the openings 29... into; the tank, the baiile 30 militating against the liquid entrained. in the. air. from passing through the. openingstz. This enables the. liquid and dirt on the. surface to be cleaned to be quickly and. readily removed, leav-- ing such surface almost dry.

It is manifest that after a partial. vacuum exists. within the tank I2, liquid will. not gravitationally flow from'the. tank. even upon openin the valve 23... Therefore, in order to allow such gravitational flow of liquid, the source of suction must be either shut off or relieved. For this purpose, an opening. 33 is formed in the tube II in the portion above. the tank 12" and a. valve. 34 disposed on the outside of the tube in the form of a'fiap partially embracing" the tube is adapted to cover or uncover the opening 33.. Manifestly, when the-valve. is in closed position and the valve. 23 is. likewise closed, a stream of air would pass. through the. floor tool It up the. front end of the tube or wand 11 to the tube H, thence laterally into the'tank through the opening 29 and thence from the tank through. the openings 32.. As. above pointed out, any liquid and dirt drawn into the. tank by the air will drop into thetank while the. air will continue its movementfrom the tank.

When .it is desired. to flow a quantity of liquid on the floor surface, both valves 34 and 23 are opened. Thus air is drawn by the source of suction through the opening 33 without. withdrawing air from the tank l2; At that. time, liquid may. flow by gravity from.- the tank l2. through the tube 11, to the. floor tool, [-9. Such gravitational now is made possible since. the interior of, the tank i2 is notunder subatmosphericpressure. j

By slightly opening the valve 34 without unseating the valve 23, the tool may be used forscrubbing purposes without additional flow of liquid. Th liquid on the floor may then be brushed or scrubbedinto the floor surface to collect the dirt and'other foreign particles.

To effect conjoint, operation'ofthe valves 23.

and 34, a fine wire. 35 leads'from the extension 2.! ofv the valve arm 24 through a portion of the tank 12, into the tube It through oneof the 4 drawn from the floor and deposited into the tank l2 as above indicated. Also by a'slight movement of the finger piece 38, the valve 34 may be slightly opened sufficient to relieve the tank [2 .of its, subatmospheric pressure but insufiicient to. unseat the valve 23, thereby enabling scrubhing. to be accomplished.

Fromf'the. above description, it will be manifest'that' I have produced an exceedingly simple and efii'cient tool for cleaning hard smooth surfaces such as linoleum, tile, terrazzo and the like but which also can be advantageously used for cleaning; carpeted or similar surfaces; The tool can be made in the main from sheet metal on a quantity basis, very economically. The simplicity of operation lends itself to use in the home without particular instruction. Since the liquid can be re-used, it. is not necessary that avconstant source of liquid be. available. One feature of importance is the tapered shape of the tank which prevents the liquid from finding its way into the tube ll and thereby drawn by the source of suction from the tool;

Reference'is hereby made to my co-pending application Serial. No. 664,626, filed April 24, 1946, and. entitled Suction Operated Floor Cleaning Device Employing Liquid.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in detail of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a floor cleaner including a floor tool, an elongate tank providing a liquid reservoir, sub stantially rigid tube means providing a connection betweenthe floor tool and one end of said tank, said tube means extending generally upwardly from the floor tool during normal use of the cleaner and disposed longitudinally throu h said tank, a port in said tube means adjacent one lower end of said tank enabling liquid to flow gravitationally from said tank to said floor tool, a valve controlling said port, an opening in said tube means above the liquid level in said tank through which liquid may be returned to the tank from the floor tool, a plug. for said tube means above said last opening, an opening in said tube means above said plug to enable air evacuation of the inside of said tank for drawing liquid from said floortool, an opening in said tube means outside of and above said tank, a valve for said last opening, said tube means beyond said last opening being adapted to be connected to a source of suction, and means for conjointly operating said valves. V

2; In a floor cleaner including a floor tool, an elongate "tank providing a liquid reservoir, substantially rigid tube means providing a connection between the floor tool and one end of said tank, said tube means extending generally upwardly from the floor tool during normal use of the cleaner and disposed longitudinally through said tank, a port in said tube means adjacent the lower end of. said tank enabling liquid to flow gravitationally from said tank to said floor tool, a valve controlling said port, an opening in said tube means above the liquid level in said tank through which liquid may be returned to the tank from the floor tool, a plug. for said tube means above said last opening, an openingin said tube means above said plug to enable air.

tween said last two openings, an opening in said tube means outside of and above said tank, a valve for said last opening, said tube means beyond said last opening being adapted to be connected to a source of suction, and means for conjointly operating said valves.

3. In a floor cleaner including a floor tool, an elongate tank providing a liquid reservoir, substantially rigid tube means providing a connection between the floor tool and one end of said tank, said tub means extending generally upwardly from the floor tool during normal use of the cleaner and disposed longitudinally through said tank, a port in said tube means adjacent the lower end of said tank enabling liquid to flow gravitationally from said tank to said floor tool, a valve controlling said port, an opening in said tube means above the liquid level in said tank through which liquid may be returned to the tank from the floor tool, a plug for said tube means above said last opening, an opening in said tube means above said plug to enable air evacuation of the inside of said tank for drawing liquid from said floor tool, a bafiie disposed between said last two openings, an opening in said tube means outside of and above said tank, a valve for said last opening, said tube means beyond said last opening being adapted to be connected to a source of suction, and means for conjointly operating said valves, said operating means in cluding a cable extending through a portion of said tube means and said tank, and a finger piece on said last valve.

4. In a fioor cleaner including a floor tool, an elongate tank providing a liquid reservoir, substantially rigid tube means providing a connection between the floor tool and one end of said tank, said tube means extending generally upwardly from the floor tool during normal use of the cleaner and disposed longitudinally through said tank, a port in said tube means adjacent the lower end of said tank enabling liquid to flow gravitationally from said tank to said floor tool, a spring-tensioned valve controlling said port, an opening in said tube means above the liquid level in said tank through which liquid may be returned to the tank from the floor tool, a plug for said tube means above said last opening, an opening in said tube means above said plug to enable air evacuation of the inside of said tank for drawing liquid from said floor tool, a bafiie in the form of a bell surrounding said tube means disposed between said last two openings, an opening in said tube means outside of and above said tank, a valve for said last opening, said tube means beyond said last opening being adapted to be connected to a source of suction, and means for conjointly operating said valves, said operating means including a cable extending through a portion of said tube mean and said tank, and a finger piece on said last valve.

5. In a floor, cleaner including a floor tool, an elongate tank providing a liquid reservoir, substantially rigid tube means providing a connection between the floor tool and one end of said tank, said tube means extending generally upwardly from the fioor tool during normal use of the cleaner and disposed longitudinally through said tank, a port in said tube means adjacent the lower end of said tank enabling liquid to flow gravitationally from said tank to said fioor tool, a spring-tensioned pivotally mounted valve controlling said port, an opening in said tube means above the liquid level in said tank through which liquid may be returned to the tank from the floor tool, a plug for said tube means above said last opening, an opening in said tube means above said plug to enable airelongate tank providing a liquid reservoir, substantially rigid tube means providing a connection between the floor tool and one end of said tank, said tube means extending generally upwardly from the fioor tool during normal use of the cleaner and disposed longitudinally through said tank, a fluid-tight connection between opposite ends of said tank and said tube means, a port in said tube means adjacent the lower end of said tank enabling liquid to flow gravitationally irom said tank to said floor tool, a valve controlling said port, an opening in said tube means above the liquid level in said tank through which liquid may be returned to the tank from the floor tool, a plug for said tube means above said last opening, an opening in said tube means above said plug to enable air evacuation of the inside of said tank for drawing liquid from said floor tool, an opening in said tube means outside of and above said tank, a valve for said last opening, said tube means beyond said last opening being adapted to be connected to a source of suction, and means for conjointly operating said valves.

'7. A cleaner of the character described, comprising: a fioor tool; a substantially rigid tube connected to the fioor tool and extending upwardly therefrom during normal use of the cleaner; a tank supported on the tube above the floor tool, the tube extending through the tank and having an upper portion extending thereabove; said tube having a port in the side wall above the lower end of the tank, a first aperture through the side wall thereof above said port and within the tank, a second aperture through the side wall thereof above the first aperture and within the tank, and a partition blocking said tube between the apertures; the upper portion of the tube being adapted for connection with a source of suction; valve means actuatable for respectively opening and closing the port; suction control means actuatable for controlling the suction applied to the upper portion of the tube; and manually operable actuating means for actuating said valve and suction control means.

FREDERICK K. MINERLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

